Mental Health

New Blog about Triggers by Clinical Director of Rio Retreat

When Current Events Trigger Your Past Trauma By Dr. Georgia Fourlas, LCSW, LISAC, CSAT-S Clinical Director of Workshops Rio Retreat Center at The Meadows Most people have dealt with some form of trauma in their lifetime. Some have sought professional help, while others relied on their family and friends’ support… Read More

Understanding the Addictive Mindset

People are surprised when they hear that I used to be an addict. I’ve been told I don’t fit the “cookie cutter mold” of what people expect an addict to be. My home life wasn’t horrible and to the outside eye, I probably seemed like a lucky kid. Sometimes I just tell… Read More

The Connection Between Your Fuel and Your Mental Health

When you think of management of your mental health, what comes to mind? Maybe you meditate or take yoga, perhaps you participate in group activities to stay connected to others, or maybe you focus on getting enough sleep. Do you ever think of the role food plays in all of… Read More

Frozen Tears: Processing Hidden Losses

Grief is normal, it is a direct result of attachment and love. There is really no one-size-fits-all approach to grief. Still, normal grief tends to follow a pattern, whereas complicated or what psychologists refer to as disenfranchised losses can go underground and truthfully never get processed at all. This is… Read More

Reality! Who Needs It?

Individuals in recovery generally spend a lot of time avoiding their painful, shameful, or fearful reality. Using chemicals, relationships, busyness, spending, eating, not eating, fantasy, gambling, sex, etc., to escape reality. What is your reality anyway? As a baby, your brain was receptive, and you downloaded and duplicated everything around… Read More

Let’s Bring Awareness To ADHD

October is ADHD Awareness month and for people without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder it can be difficult to grasp what it feels like for those who do. Individuals with ADHD may hear people flippantly say, “Everyone is a little bit ADHD” or dismiss their experience without compassion. However, contrary to popular misconception, ADHD is not a new term nor a medical fad. The medical condition was first mentioned in 1902 by British pediatrician Sir George Still who described “an abnormal defect of moral control in children.” He noticed that some children were unable to control their behavior the way a typical child would but were still intelligent. Read More

Adopted Children Often Face Mental Health Struggles as Young Adults

By GinaMarie Guarino, LMHC Adoption is a delicate process that comes with many different considerations. The relationship between an adopted child and his or her adopted parents is unique, and in many ways unlike that between parents and their biological children. It is difficult to predict how a child… Read More

What Happens to Young Adults with ADHD?

By Krysha Thayer Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD for short, is a mental health disorder that is most commonly found in children between the ages of 4 and 17. Upon entering young adulthood, it is common for people who have been diagnosed with ADHD to grow out… Read More

Approach ‘13 Reasons Why’ with Curiosity Instead of Fear

By Lindsay Merrell, Therapist, Remuda Ranch at The Meadows Since the years of my internship, working with patients facing suicidal thoughts has been concerning, challenging, and inspiring. Individuals struggling with such hopelessness come to professionals in desperate need of relief from what is starting to feel like an inevitable outcome. Our responsibility as professionals is to be persistently and empathically interested in the individual’s struggle. Our curiosity gives them the courage to look at the very pain they fear. Read More